Each session we present a couple of songs—they might be pop, blues, folk, rock, but I try to keep it varied—and we look at some fun things that a guitarist might do to ‘treat’ each song with some musical details such as customised chord shapes, a fingerpicking pattern, strumming ideas, bass runs, and anything else that occurs to us. One of the songs will generally be easier (with maybe a couple of barre chords but nothing too challenging); the other might be a bit more advanced, but there will always be easy options 😀

The sessions are paced to practice all the new bits & bobs and then have a proper play-through of each song. There will be lots of little twiddly bits and basics to pick up along the way, and let’s not forget the essential addition of Norman’s Facts, a carefully-researched background detail presented by our eponymous fact-finder!

This two-hour session is designed to work at any level—our first song will be barre-chord free, with basic strumming and maybe some simple fingerpicking, aimed at more beginner-y players. The second song might be a bit more involved, but nothing too complex.

If you’re new to these sessions, get a feel by looking at my YouTube playlist Guitar Song Essentials!

Recent songs randomly include:

Give a Little Bit (Supertramp) / Everything Has Changed (Ed Sheeran & Taylor Swift) / Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) / Perfect Day (Lou Reed) / The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Ewan McColl) / One Little Song (Gillian Welch) / Landslide (Fleetwood Mac) / Eternal Flame (Bangles) / Flying Visit (Ferris & Sylvester)